Sport: Basketball
Position: Administrator, Coach
Year of Induction: 2012

While growing up in Chatham, Dave excelled at sports. He played on OBA Championship baseball teams as well as John McGregor Secondary School championship basketball teams. He went on to teach and to coach for 35 years with the Kent County and Lambton Kent District School Boards. He was at Indian Creek Rd. School for 26 years and Queen Elizabeth School for 9 years. During his time Dave put in place several things that had not previously existed.

• 1980 – he was responsible for starting junior (grades 4, 5 & 6) athletic programs in Chatham elementary schools
• 1981 – he organized the first summer instructional basketball camp and ran it for 3 years – the camp still operates today
• 1997 – was first to coach a Chatham Wildcat (OBA) club team which he continued to do until 2010
  Was first to organize elementary school teams to play in Detroit prior to the Pistons home games
• For years he organized weekend exchange games between Indian Creek and Wyandotte Catholic Consolidated School in Michigan

Dave acted as elementary school basketball convener for most of his teaching career. His basketball teams had outstanding success, winning most years and if they didn’t win, they were second. Over his 35 years his senior teams won 20 times. Dave often coached both junior and senior teams and usually had 2 teams at each level. Dave’s success encouraged other elementary coaches to elevate their programs and this, in part, was responsible for the success that Chatham high schools have had at OFSAA basketball. Dave and his wife Helen raised 8 children, many of whom excelled at basketball at the high school and university levels.

Awards & Recognitions

• 1985 – was honoured for his contributions to Chatham basketball prior to a senior boys’ game at John McGregor Secondary School – many of his former players attended
• Upon his retirement from teaching, Dave was honoured by the Kent County high school coaches – the MVP of the boys high school basketball league now receives the Dave “Grouch” Allin Award
• After his retirement, Queen Elizabeth 11 Public School named its new gymnasium the “Dave Allin Gym” in his honour

Dave died in 2013 at the age of 61 as a result of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease.